Windshield wiper



Oct. 20, 192 1,558,340

RLJ. BROWNBACK WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed June 10, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 i I r Oct. 20, 1925;

7 1,558,340 R. J. BROWNBACK WINDS HIELD WI PER Filed June 10, 1924 2 Sheets-$heet all , IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA Patented Oct. 20,

m-morrice;

RUSSELL JAMES BRO'W'NBAGK, NORBISTOWN, PENNSYLVANI To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, HUssnLL J, Brown- BACK, a citizen of the United States, rc'sid ing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have mvented certain new and useful Improve-- ments in Windshield Wipers; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This. invention is an improvement in wind-shield wipers for removing mist, sleet, water, snow, and the like, from the windshields of automobiles, trolley or steam cars or locomotives, boats, and the like, and the principal object thereof is to provide a wind-shield wiperwhich may either be operated positively from a solid or flexible shaft, such as the shaft of a speedometer, taximeter, drive shaft, or other rotating part of the vehicle or its motor or other mechanism, or said wiper may be manually operated by means of a hand crank engaging the wiper shaft.

A further object of the invention, is to provide a novel wind-shield wiper having an oscillatory wiper blade, means being rovided for automatically shifting the wiper blade out of contact with the wind-shield at the end ofeach wiping stroke, to prevent binding of the wiper blade against said wind-shield while the direction of travel of said blade is being reversed, thereby I'educ ing friction during such reversal of movement, and resulting 1n less powerbemg required to operate the wiper..

A'still further ob'ect of the invention is' to provide a novel link connection between the wiper shaft and the power driving shaft, whereby the rotatory motion of the power driving shaft will bepositively converted into oscillatory motion of the wiper shaft.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with refer-' ence to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment'thereof.

to enable others to adopt and use the same, and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combi- Application filed June 10, 1024.' Serial no. mama nations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is. a longitudinal section through my novel wind-shield wiper, showing same ap lied to a conventional wind-shield.

ig 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1..

Fig, 3 is a rear elevation of the wiper.

Fig. 4 is a vplan view of the lower half of the wiper casing showing the parallel g de Flg. 5 is a longitudinal section through the clutch.

. As shown inthe drawings, my novel wind.- shield wiper comprises preferably a tubular shaft 1 passing through a hole F in the windshield frame F, the outer end of said shaft 1 carrying the wiper arm 2, which is attached thereto preferably by means of a set screw 2, arm 2 carrying the usual rubber or fabric cleaner 2", which contacts with the exposed face F of the wind-shield, in

the usual manner Shaft 1 passes diametrically through a casing 3, which houses the working parts of the wiper mechanism as will be hereinafter described. The opposite end of tubular shaft 1, is provided with a longitudinal slot 1, extending from said end to a point slightly infront of thev transverse axis of the casing 3, said slot 1 being adapted to receive a longitudinally adjustable key 7 hereinafter referred to Casing 3, .is preferably substantially globular inform, and is formed of two symmetrical halves 3 3", meeting in the horig zontal plane of the axis of shaft 1, as shown in Fi 2 and 3, said halves being preferably etachably connected at their meeting edges in any desired manner. One of said halves 3 is provided with extensions 3 provided with perforations for the passage of the screws or bolts 3, which attach the casing to the frame F of the wind-shield;

Around the shaft 1 is a sleeve 4, making a sliding fit with said shaft, said sleeve extending from the inner end of the shaft to a point slightly to the rear of the transverse axis of the casing 3. A hand crank 4' is at. tached to the sleeve 4 exterior to the casing 3, by which hand crankthe said sleeve 4 o may be rocked to oscillate-the shaft 1, when guide-ways of part 3 being disposed above,

and the guideways of part 3, being disposed below the shaft 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Guide ways 3*, 3, are respectively provided with symmetrically disposed off set portions 3 3, on both sides of shaft 1 and equidistant therefrom, which off-sets are disposed slightly nearer the wind-shield glass F than the main portions of said guide-ways. Transfixing the shaft 1 is a vertically disposed pin 1", the ends of which pin are adapted to engage the parallel guide ways above and below said shaft 1, so that when shaft 1 is oscillated, the pin 1 will slide in the main portions of the guide ways but when the pin engages the off-set plortions 3 3, the shaft will be shifted slig tly away from the windshield F, and thereby disengage the wiper 2 from the wind-shield at the end of each wiping stroke of said wiper and durin the reversal of the direction of motion 1'. ereof.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 1, and dis osed at the transverse axis of the casing 3, 1s a collar 5, having an arm or crank portion 5 depending therefrom, for the purpose hereinafter described, and said collar 5 is further provided with a longitudinal slot 5 for the reception of the key 7 hereinafter described. Collar 5 abuts againstthe inner end of sleeve 4, and between the opposite end of collar 5 and the pin 1 is a spacing washer 6, for the purpose of maintaining the collar 5, at the transverse axis of the casin 3, and for the 1purpose of holding said collar 5 against t e adjacent end of collar 4. I

Extending into the hollow shaft 1, from the rear end thereof is a rod 7, on the inner end of which is the flattened key 7, which extends through slot 1 in said shaft 1, said rod 7 and key 7 being adjustable in said slot longitudinally of the shaft. The outer end of rod 7 is tapered, as at 7,", and adapted to receive the correspondingly tapered .bore 8 of a trigger or finger 8,

which trigger is retained on said rod 7 by means of a fiat-headed screw 7 tapped into the outer end of rod 7. Trigger 8 is provided for the urpose of shifting the key 7 longitudinal y of the shaft 1 to lock co lar member 5 to said shaft 1, or sleeve member 4 to said shaft 1, or both.

When trigger 8 is pushed towards the wind-shield, key 7 is pushed along slot 1 of shaft 1 until said key engages the slot 5 in the collar 5, thereby locking the collar 5 in suitable bearings 3 to said shaft 1, whereas the sleeve-4 will remain loose upon the shaft 1. If, however, the trigger 8 is ulled away from said wind-shield the key will become disengaged from slot 5 in collar 5, and will enter the slot 4* in sleeve 4, and will lock said sleeve 4 to shaft 1, at which time shaft 1 may be rotated or oscillated by means of hand crank 4, and collar 5 will then be disengaged from said shaft. Obviously, if key 7 is engaged half with slot 5 of collar 5, and half with slot- 4 of-sleeve 4, the members 1, 4 and 5, will all be locked together and oscillate-as a unit.

Between the end of shaft 1 and the trigger 8 is a metal washer 9, and one or more rubber washers 10, which washers 9 and 10 are enclosed in a cap 11, which cap abuts against trigger 8 and com resses the washer 10, whereby the latter wil be caused to gri rod 7 and retain same in any adjusted position relativeto the shaft 1.

The power means for imparting oscillatory motion to the shaft '1 comprises a rotatable shaft 12, which enters the casing 3, at right angles to, and in the horizontal plane ofshaft 1, said shaft 12 being housed in said casing.

-Upon the inner end of shaft 12 is a crank 12" having a ball socket 12 on its outer end adapted to receive the ball end 13" of a rod 13 is oosely hinged to the outer end of arm'5 of the collar 5, by means of a wrist pin 13 and between the rod 13 and crank arm 5" may be placed a washer 13- Shaft 12 may be positively rotated by means of a flexible shaft S of any desired ty e, which shaft S is driven from any revo ving part of the vehicle, such as a speedometer or taximeter shaft, crank shaft, or the like. Shaft 12, may if desired, be operated or driven by means of a mechanism separate and distinct jfrdm the vehicle tself, such as an electric motor, vacuum pump, or the like.

As abovestated, shafts 1 and 12 lie in the same horizontal plane'and are disposed at right angles to each other. The effective length. of rod 13 may be varied to suit required conditions. Since the connection of rod 13 to crank 12 is a ball and socket joint, and the connection of rod 13 to crank arm 5 is a hinged connection, as shaft 12 is rotated, shaft 1 will be oscillated through an arc dependentupon the length of rod 13.

. A suitable clutch mechanism may be interposed in the flexible shaft S, which clutch may be; mounted either adjacent the casing 3, or may be mounted on the instrument board, or other part of the vehicle.

r is inserted in member 15, to lock said m'embers together,

thereby causing bolt 16 to rotate with member 15. The opposite end of bolt 16 is provided with a .key 16" adapted to slide in a longitudinal groove 17* in a cap member 17 to which the other end of the split in the flexible shaft S is attached, thus permitting bolt 16 to slide longitudinally of members 15 and 17, but bolt 16 remaining at all times keyed to cap member 17; A suitable ring 18 may be loosely mounted on bolt 16 for the purpose of shifting the bolt longitudinally of said members 15 and 17 to lock or unlock the bolt 16 from the member 15, as above described.

Any other type of clutch be used in flexible shaft S.

I do not limit my Wind-shield wiper to the exact form shown in the drawings, for

however may obviously minor changes could be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

' I claim:

1. A wind-shield wiper, comprising a rock shaft movably mounted on the wind.- shield; means for rockin said shaft; a wiper carrying arm on sai shaft engaging the wind shield glass; and means for shifting said shaft to move'said arm out of engagement with the glass at the end of each wiping stroke.

2. In a wind-shield wiper as set forth in claim 1, said means comprisin a guide extending transversely of said s aft, and having symmetrically disposed portionson opposite sides and offset axially of said shaft; and a member connected with said shaft and engaging said guide.

3. In a wind-shield wiper as set forth in claim 1, said means comprising a pair of parallel guides extending transversely of and on op osite sides of said shaft, said guides having symmetrical ortions on opposite sides and off-set axial y of said shaft and equidistant from the axis thereof; and a member on said shaft engaging said guides.

4. A wind-shield wiper,comprisin a casing; an oscillatory shaft extending t rough said casing and slidable therein; a Wiper carrying arm on said shaft engaging the wind-shield glass; a guide in said casing extending transversely of said shaft, said guide having symmetrically disposed portions on both sides and offset axially of said shaft; and a in on said shaft engaging said guide, where y as said shaft is ocillated the arm will be shifted out of en agementwith said glass at the end of sec stroke.

5. A wind-shield wiper, comprising an axially movable rock shaft extending transversely of said Wind-shield; means for rocking said shaft; awiper carrying arm on said shaft normally engaging the windshield glass;'a pair of parallel guides extending transversely of and on opposite sides of said shaft and having symmetrical portions on opposite sides and offset axially of said shaft and equidistant from the axis thereof; a pin onsaid shaft engaging said guides, whereby as said shaft is rocked the pin will engage; said offset portions and move the shaft axially to disengage the arm from the glass at the end of each Wiping stroke.

6. In a wind-shield wiper, a casing adapted to be mounted on the Wind-shield frame;

a hollow rock shaft extending through said casing at right angles to said wind-shield, and having a longitudinal slot therein; a wiper'carrying arm mounted on said shaft and engaging the wind-shield lass; a crank loosely mounted on said sha t within the casing and having a slot therein adapted to register with said slot in the shaft; a rotatable shaft entering said casing adjacent said crank; means connectin said crank and said second shaft whereby 51s rotatory motion of said second shaft will rock said first shaft, a key adapted to slide in said slots; and means for shifting said. key tolock and unlock said crank and said first shaft.

7. In a wind-shield wiper, a rock shaft having a longitudinal slot therein; a wiper carryingarm on said shaft; a crank loosely mounted on said shaft; means for continuously rocking said crank; said crank having a longitudinal slot therein adapted to register with the slot in said shaft; a key adapted to slide in said slots; and means for, shifting said key to lock or unlock said crank and shaft.

. claim 7 said means comprising a key rod carrying said key and extending into said hollow shaftand having its outer end tapered; a correspondingly tapered trigger detachably mounted on the outer end of said rod; metallic and'resilient washers on said rod interposed between the end of said shaft and said trigger, and a cap enclosing said washers and abutting against said trigger whereby the resilient washers will be compressed against said rod.

10. In a wind-shield Wiper, a rock shaft having a longitudinal slot therein, a sleeve 'on, said shaft having a longitudinal slot on its inner end adapted to register with the slot in said shaft; a handle on' the outer end of said sleeve; a key adapted to slide in'said slots; and means for shifting said key to lock or unlock said sleeve and shaft.

11. In a wind-shield wiper as set forth in claim 10, said rock shaft being hollow, and said means comprising a key rod carrying said key and extending into said hollow shaft; a trigger mounted on said rod; and

means for binding the rod in adjusted position.

12. In a wind-shield wiper, as set forth in claim 10, said means comprising a key rod-carryingsaid key and extending into said hollow shaft and having its outer end tapered; a correspondingly tapered trigger detachably mounted on the outer end of said rod; metallic and resilient washers mounted on said rod and interposed between the end of said shaft and said trig er, and a cap enclosing said washers and a utting against said trigger whereby the resilient washers will be compressed against said rod.

13. In a wind-shield wiper, a hollow rock shaft having a longitudinal slot therein; a sleeve rotatably mounted over the slotte portion of said shaft and havinn: a longitudinal slot on its inneriend a apted to register with the slot in said shaft; a handle on the outer end of said sleeve; a key adapted to slidein said slots; a key rod carrying the key on its inner end, and having its outer end tapered, said rod extending into the hollow IOf'k shaft, a correspondingly tapered trigger detachably mounted on the outer end of said rod, and means for frictionally binding the rod in adjusted position.

14. In a wind-shield wiper as set forth in claim 13, said means comprising alternate metallic and resilient washers on said rod interposed between the end of said shaft and 

